


Loud Siblings Read: Warriors Into the Wild

by MageWolf



Series: Loud Siblings Read Warrior Cats [1]
Category: The Loud House (Cartoon), Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Other, Reading, Sibling Bonding, Swearing, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29823540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageWolf/pseuds/MageWolf
Summary: One rainy day, Lincoln comes home with Warriors: Into the Wild. Thinking it's a children's book, his sisters tease him for buying it. A dare is made, and now they are reading the book together.
Series: Loud Siblings Read Warrior Cats [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2192385
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kittypets Read: Into The Wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29808282) by [FireAlder2005](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireAlder2005/pseuds/FireAlder2005). 



> The Loud Sibs will read two chapters per day they read

It was a rainy day in the Loud family household. The sisters were laying on the couch, keeping themselves busy with their own activities, as they’re wont to do on rainy days like this.

Leni busy painting her nails, admiring the way they sparkled. She turned to her right, saying, “Linky, what do you-”

However, her white haired brother wasn’t there. Leni furrowed her brows and turned her head to her older sister.

“Lori, where’s Lincoln?” She asked. Lori sighed, not looking away from her phone as she answered.

“Mom said she was taking him to the bookstore.” She replied.

“Why?”

“She said he needs to read more books.”

“But-”

“She meant actual books, Leni.”

“I find our mother’s judgement to be accurate. I’ve noticed that while our brother is able to recite any jargon from his inane comics, he is unable to recall anything from classic literature that he has surely read by now.”

“Books are bo-oring!” Lana groaned, “I don’t blame Linc for not wanting to read ‘em!”

Lisa turned her head from her book for the first time in a few hours to glance at Lana. She simply shrugged and replied, “Well of course you don’t find the value in such important pieces of literature. I’m sure you’d much rather consume garbage than do something educational.”

Lana whirled around at those words, standing up and approaching Lisa. Her hands were balled into white-knuckled fists and her mouth was drawn into an eerily dog-like snarl.

“What was that brainiac?!”

Just then, the door opened. Rita had a small shopping bag in one hand, likely filled with books. Lincoln trailed behind, holding one book himself. His mother greeted her daughters quickly before heading into the dining room and pulling a few books out of the bag.

However, Lincoln’s sisters were in awe at the book Lincoln had.

“Woah, dude, you actually got something?!” Luna gasped.

“I _novel_ thought this day would come!” Luan, jested, cackling as her sisters groaned in annoyance. Lincoln on the other hand, seemed strangely cheerful for getting a book, opposite to his complaining when he left.

“Clyde recommended this to me! I heard it was pretty good!” Lincoln said simply, shrugging.

“Oo! What’s it about?” Leni inquired. Lincoln looked back down at the book in his hands.

“Well... I dunno. Clyde didn’t say much about it. I do know it’s about wild cats though!”

His sisters blinked a few times, surprised.

“Your friend actually endorsed a child’s book about cats?!” Lisa said. Lincoln looked indignant at those words.

“W-well, he said there’s fighting and death in it!” He stuttered, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“I think it sounds awesome!” Lana shouted excitedly. Lola shot her a look.

“Please, I’ll bet it’s just as lame as Lincoln’s comics!” The pageant princess snorted. Her twin and her white haired brother both glared at her.

“My comics aren’t lame!”

“Yeah, and it has cats in it!”

Before a fight could break out, however, Lori sighed and stood up, holding the two sides apart.

“Look, Lincoln, it’s great and all that you got an actual book, but did you have to pick one that sounds like it’s literally for toddlers?”

Lincoln scowled, eyes narrowing. “It’s-”

“Yeah, kinda have to agree with Lori there, Stinkcoln.” Lynn concurred, “I dunno why you thought it sounded good.”

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Lynn. Most books of this nature are for young children.” Lucy suddenly said, scaring everyone in the room.

Lincoln was practically red in the face at this point, eyebrows pointed down and hands balled into fists.

“Well, if that’s what you think, I’ll make a bet with you all!” Lincoln growled, “I’ll read chapter one to you all, and if this turns out to _not_ be for babies, you guys have to get me another pair of underwear!”

His sisters cringed at the thought of seeing him in his undies with a smug look on his face, but they were determined to not back down.

”And what if we win?” Lori asked. Lincoln paused, brows furrowing as he struggled to think of a suitable reward for them. He finally sighed in resignment.

“If you guys win, I’ll give you fifty bucks and you guys can rub it in my face all you want...”

“... Deal.”

Lincoln smiled smugly and hopped onto the couch. He flipped the book open, furrowing his brows at the first few pages.

“What?” His sisters asked. Lincoln’s eyes then widened in understanding.

“Ohhh, it’s the character list! And I think the world map...”

“What kind of book is this?” Lola said to herself, bewildered. Her sisters shrugged. Finally, Lincoln found the first chapter and began to read:

* * *

**Prologue:**

Lincoln’s brows furrowed. He said to himself, “I dunno what a prologue is, but I guess this is the first chapter...”

“A prologue is an introductory chapter typically separate from the rest of the book. It often establishes necessary information and foreshadowing for-”

“Okay, okay, we get it little miss Thesaurus!” Lynn interrupted, rolling her eyes. Lisa glared at her and opened her mouth, only for Lincoln to clear his throat and glare at them.

“Sorry...” They both mumbled. Lincoln sighed and got back to reading

**A half-moon glowed on the smooth granite boulders, turning them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of water from the swift black river and the whisper of trees in the forest beyond.**

“Sounds like my kind of place!” Lana said cheerfully, only to be elbowed by her twin. Before she could shout at her, Lola, placed a finger over her own lips, inclining her head to an annoyed Lincoln.

Lana’s eyes widened and she smiled apologetically at her brother. He sighed.

“Okay, new rule, please only interrupt me every few paragraphs if you have to!” Lincoln muttered before going back to reading.

**There was a stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe dark shapes crept stealthily over the rocks. Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed like amber. And then, as if on a silent signal, the creatures leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching cats.**

“Wow, what a _tail!_ Get it?” Luan cackled, which was predictably followed by annoyed glares and groans. Lincoln shot her a dirty look before reading once more.

**At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive dark tabby pinned a bracken-colored tom to the ground and drew his head up triumphantly. "Oakheart!" the tabby growled. "How, dare you hunt in our territory? The Sunningrocks belong to ThunderClan!"**

**"After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will be just another RiverClan hunting ground!" the bracken-colored tom spat back.**

“Wait, what’s ThunderClan and RiverClan?” Leni said aloud. Her siblings shrugged.

“I think Clyde told me they’re the names of the clans.” Lincoln mused. When his sisters stared at him in bewilderment, he explained further, “He said in this, there’s four clans of wild cats out in the woods. I think he said the books focus on ThunderClan mostly.”

“How do they live in clans?” Lana asked, titling her head curiously.

“Well, most feral cats are quite well known for gathering together in colonies.” Lisa explained, “So I must give the author kudos for that.”

**A warning yowl came from the shore, shrill and anxious.**

**"Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming!"**

**Tigerclaw turned to see sleek wet bodies sliding out of the water below the rocks. The drenched RiverClan warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled themselves into battle without even stopping to shake the water from their fur.**

“Hm. Domestic felines aren’t typically known for enjoying swimming, but for the sake of this story, I’ll assume this RiverClan is populated mainly by Turkish Vans.”

The other siblings blinked, barely comprehending what their sister said, but Lincoln decided to press forward.

**The dark tabby glared down at Oakheart. "You may swim like otters, but you and your warriors do not belong in this forest!" He drew back his lips and showed his teeth as the cat struggled beneath him.**

**The desperate scream of a ThunderClan she-cat rose above the clamor. A wiry RiverClan tom had pinned the brown warrior flat on her belly. Now he lunged toward her neck with jaws still dripping from his swim across the river.**

The sister’s eyes widened in shock.

“Is that cat gonna fucking kill him?!” Luna cried. Lincoln smugly smiled as he continued to read.

**Tigerclaw heard the cry and let go of Oakheart. With a mighty leap, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the she-cat. "Quick Mousefur, run!" he ordered, before turning on the RiverClan tom who had threatened her. Mousefur scrambled to her paws, wincing from a deep gash on her shoulder, and raced away.**

“Guess not.” Lori muttered. She had to admit, she was a bit surprised this book opened with a fight and that an enemy cat tried to literally kill one of the characters.

“Why’re they named weird?” Lola inquired.

“I think Clyde said they get a prefix when their born... and I think said they have the suffix paw when their young, and then... I think they get some other prefix when they grow up.”

**Behind her, Tigerclaw spat with rage as the RiverClan tom sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward regardless and sank his teeth into the hind leg of his enemy. The RiverClan cat squealed and struggled free.**

“Damnit... guess we gotta give you the tighty-whiteys then.” Lynn groaned. Lincoln nodded.

“Yup. Not until we finish though!” He smirked.

**"Tigerclaw!" The yowl came from a warrior with a tail as red as fox fur. "This is useless! There are too many RiverClan warriors!"**

**"No, Redtail. ThunderClan will never be beaten!" Tigerclaw yowled back, leaping to Redtail's side. "This is our territory!"**

**Blood was welling around this broad black muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently scattering scarlet drops onto the rocks.**

**"ThunderClan will honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more of our warriors," Redtail urged.**

**"Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds. We will have another chance to avenge this defeat." He met Tigerclaw's amber-gaze steadily, then reared away and sprang onto a boulder at the edge of the trees.**

**"Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!" he yowled. At once his warriors squirmed and struggled away from their opponents. Spitting and snarling, they backed toward Redtail. for a heartbeat the RiverClan cats looked confused. Was this battle so easily won? Then Oakheart yowled a jubilant cry. As soon as they heard him, the RiverClan warriors raised their their voices and joined their deputy in caterwauling their victory.**

“Why were they fighting again?” Leni asked. Her siblings shrugged, even Lincoln staying quietly.

**Redtail looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his tail, he gave the signal and the ThunderClan cats dived down the far side of the Sunningrocks, then disappeared into the trees.**

**Tigerclaw followed last. He hesitated at the edge of the forest and glanced back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was grim, and his eyes furious slits. Then he leaped after his Clan into the silent forest.**

**In a deserted clearing, an old gray she-cat sat alone, staring up as the clear night sky. All around her in the shadows she could hear the breathing and stirrings of sleeping cats.**

“Wait, where are we?” Lynn asked.

Lincoln replied “I think it’s a different scene. Sounds like it’s happening a bit later too.”

**A small tortoiseshell she-cat emerged from a dark corner, her pawsteps quick and soundless.**

**The gray cat dipped her head in greeting. "How is Mousefur?" she meowed.**

**"Her wounds are deep, Bluestar," answered the tortoiseshell, settling herself on the night-cool grass. "But she is young and strong; she will heal quickly."**

“Wonder how they patched her up?” Lana mused aloud.

**"And the others?"**

**"They will all recover, too."**

“Aww...” Lynn sighed. Her siblings looked up, bewildered.

“What do you mean ‘aw’?!” Lola demanded, “If they did die, we’d have to get Lincoln those undies!”

“But it would have been cool...” Lynn muttered.

**Bluestar sighed. "We are lucky not to have lost any of our warriors this time. You are a gifted medicine cat, Spottedleaf." She tilted her head again and studied the stars. "I am deeply troubled by tonight's defeat. ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader," she murmured. "These are difficult times for our Clan. The season of newleaf is late, and there have been fewer kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to survive."**

**"But the year is only just beginning," Spottedleaf pointed out calmly. There will be more kits when greenleaf comes."**

**The gray cat twitched her broad shoulders. "Perhaps. But training our young to become warriors takes time. If ThunderClan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon as possible."**

“See! This isn’t for kids!” Lincoln snickered. His sisters rolled their eyes.

“Yeah yeah, we get it. This isn’t for babies.” Lori grumbled.

**"Are you asking StarClan for answers?" meowed Spottedleaf gently, following Bluestar's gaze staring up at the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky.**

**"It is at times like this we need the words of ancient warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you?" Bluestar asked.**

“The hell’s StarClan?” Luna inquired.  
  


“Clyde said it’s cat heaven.” Lincoln said, not taking his eyes off of the book.

**"Not for some moons, Bluestar."**

**Suddenly a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Spottedleaf's tail twitched and the fur along her spine bristled.**

**Bluestar's ears pricked but she remained silent as Spottedleaf continued to gaze upward.**

**After a few moments, Spottedleaf lowered her head and she turned to Bluestar. "It was a message from StarClan," she murmured. A distant look came into her eyes. "Fire alone can save our clan."**

“How the hell is fire gonna solve their problems?!” Lynn demanded. Lisa rolled her eyes.

“Likely a metaphor. However, I cannot wrap my head around why omnipresent feline spirits would send such a vague sign.”

**"Fire?" Bluestar echoed. "But fire is feared by all the Clans! How can it save us?"**

“Exactly!” Lynn huffed, “I like Bluestar!”

Lincoln hummed and flipped to the next page, thinking over what she just said...

**Spottedleaf shook her head. "I do not know," she admitted. "But this is the message StarClan has chosen to share with me."**

**The ThunderClan leader fixed her clear blue eyes on the medicine cat. "You have never been wrong before, Spottedleaf," she meowed. "If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. Fire will save our Clan."**

* * *

“And that’s the prologue.” Lincoln said, looking up from the book and around at his sisters. “See? It wasn’t for toddlers!”

“We get it!” Luan groaned, “We were wrong, you were right! Now what underwear do you want? It probably won’t be fancy, ‘cause we’re a little low on cash!”

Lincoln was silent for a minute, thinking over those words. He then smirked.

“Well... I can change the terms if you want...” He said simply.

The sisters smiled brightly, glad they won’t have to give up money to get Lincoln more underwear. Lola said, “Whatever you want, we’ll do it!”

“You guys seemed to like it, and I really like the book too!” Lincoln smiled, “So you guys have to read the rest with me.”

“What?!” The sisters cried, demanding to know why and if they would have to spend all their free time listening to some stupid cat book. Lincoln lifted his hands to his chest, smiling.

“Ladies, ladies, calm down. I’ll read a chapter after dinner every day, so we won’t have to spend all our free time reading!”. Lincoln then stood up, grabbing the book and heading upstairs. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to catch up on some Ace Savvy.”

The sisters were left wide eyed and annoyed. Seems the bet wasn’t the smartest idea... but at least they wouldn’t have to deal with Lincoln constantly in his new underwear...


	2. Chapter One

The next day, the sisters were sprawled on the couch, full after the dinner of their father's famous Mac n' Cheese bites. They looked impatient as Lincoln was saving the remaining food for later.

Lori groaned and yelled to the kitchen, "Lincoln, hurry the hell up!"

"Coming!" He called back. His sisters sighed. After a few minutes, Lincoln marched into the living room, a wide smile on his face and the book under his armpit. He hopped onto the couch, flipping open to the next chapter.

"Alright, chapter one, for real this time!"

* * *

**It was very dark. Rusty could sense something was near.**

"Hold up, who's Rusty?!" Lynn demanded, completely caught off guard by this point of view change. Lincoln open his mouth to speak, only to interrupted by Lisa

"A prologue in a book often serves to establish background information or foreshadowing, often from a different perspective. A fine example of such is William Shakespeare's play Ro-"

"Lisa, don't go full English major on us." Lori grumbled, slapping her hand over the little genius' mouth. Said genius gave her a sharp glare before sighing.

"What I'm trying to say is the prologue was just setting up the conflict from a different perspective. If I had to guess, Rusty is likely our main character."

"Oh. Okay then." Lynn shrugged. Lincoln blew air from his nose and continued to read.

**The young tomcat's eyes opened wide as he scanned the dense undergrowth. This place was unfamiliar, but the strange scents drew him onward, deeper into the shadows. His stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger. He opened his jaws slightly to let the warm smells of the forest reach the scent glands on the roof of his mouth.**

"Why'd he open his mouth?!" Lola interjected in a bewildered tone.

"Cats can smell things with their mouth, numbnuts!" Lana stated matter of factly, as if that was the most well known fact in the universe. Lola growled in annoyance but didn't pursue the argument, deciding it wasn't worth it.

**Musty odors of leaf mold mingled with the tempting aroma of a small furry creature.**

**Suddenly a flash of gray raced past him. Rusty stopped still, listening. It was hiding in the leaves less than two tail-lengths away. Rusty knew it was a mouse—he could feel the rapid pulsing of a tiny heart deep within his ear fur. He swallowed, stifling his rumbling stomach. Soon his hunger would be satisfied.**

**Slowly he lowered his body into position, crouching for the attack. He was downwind of the mouse. He knew it was not aware of him. With one final check on his prey's position, Rusty pushed back hard on his haunches and sprang, kicking up leaves on the forest floor as he rose.**

Thankfully the sisters didn't have anything to say, too enraptured by the book, much to Lincoln's relief.

**The mouse dived for cover, heading toward a hole in the ground. But Rusty was already on top of it. He scooped it into the air, hooking the helpless creature with his thorn-sharp claws, flinging it up in a high arc onto the leaf-covered ground. The mouse landed dazed, but alive. It tried to run, but Rusty snatched it up again. He tossed the mouse once more, this time a little farther away. The mouse managed to scramble a few paces before Rusty caught up with it.**

"Hey, that's really mean!" Lana said. Lincoln groaned. Well, that was nice while it lasted.

"Actually, animals free of human interference typically live a dangerous life, so I highly doubt they care if they're being "Mean"."

**Suddenly a noise roared nearby. Rusty looked around, and as he did so, the mouse was able to pull away from his claws. When Rusty turned back he saw it dart into the darkness among the tangled roots of a tree.**

**Angry, Rusty gave up the hunt. He spun around, his green eyes glaring, intent on searching out the noise that had cost him his kill. The sound rattled on, becoming more familiar. Rusty blinked open his eyes.**

"What?" The sisters all echoed aloud. Even Lincoln was confused, but he chose to keep reading instead of questioning it.

**The forest had disappeared. He was inside a hot and airless kitchen, curled in his bed. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting shadows on the smooth, hard floor. The noise had been the rattle of hard, dried pellets of food as they were tipped into his dish. Rusty had been dreaming.**

"Ohhh." The siblings all said collectively.

**Lifting his head, he rested his chin on the side of his bed. His collar rubbed uncomfortably around his neck. In his dream he had felt fresh air ruffling the soft fur where the collar usually pinched. Rusty rolled onto his back, savoring the dream for a few more moments. He could still smell mouse. It was the third time since full moon that he'd had the dream, and every time the mouse had escaped his grasp.**

"So he's a house cat?" Lynn muttered.

"Guess so." Luan murmured.

**He licked his lips.**

"Ew! That's nasty!" Lola shouted. Lana turned and glared at her twin.

"Of course he wants to eat it!" Lana pointed out, "He a cat!"

"But... oh forget it!"

**From his bed he could smell the bland odor of his food. His owners always refilled his dish before they went to bed. The dusty smell chased away the warm scents of his dream. But the hunger rumbled on in his stomach, so Rusty stretched the sleep out of his limbs and padded across the kitchen floor to his dinner. The food felt dry and tasteless on his tongue. Rusty reluctantly swallowed one more mouthful. Then he turned away from the food dish and pushed his way out through the cat flap, hoping that the smell of the garden would bring back the feelings from his dream.**

**Outside, the moon was bright. It was raining lightly. Rusty stalked down the tidy garden, following the starlit gravel path, feeling the stones cold and sharp beneath his paws. He made his dirt beneath a large bush with glossy green leaves and heavy purple flowers. Their sickly sweet scent cloyed the damp air around him, and he curled his lip to drive the smell out of his nostrils.**

**Afterward, Rusty settled down on top of one of the posts in the fence that marked the limits of his garden. It was a favorite spot of his, as he could see right into the neighboring gardens as well as into the dense green forest on the other side of the garden fence.**

**The rain had stopped. Behind him, the close-cropped lawn was bathed in moonlight, but beyond his fence the woods were full of shadows. Rusty stretched his head forward to take a sniff of the damp air. His skin was warm and dry under his thick coat, but he could feel the weight of the raindrops that sparkled on his ginger fur.**

"Well that must be uncomfortable!" Lana said to herself.

**He heard his owners giving him one last call from the back door. If he went to them now, they would greet him with gentle words and caresses and welcome him onto their bed, where he would curl, purring, warm in the crook of a bent knee.**

**But this time Rusty ignored his owners' voices and turned his gaze back to the forest. The crisp smell of the woods had grown fresher after the rain.**

**Suddenly the fur on his spine prickled. Was something moving out there? Was something watching him? Rusty stared ahead, but it was impossible to see or smell anything in the dark, tree-scented air. He lifted his chin boldly, stood up, and stretched, one paw gripping each corner of the fencepost as he straightened his legs and arched his back. He closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of the woods once more. It seemed to promise him something, tempting him onward into the whispering shadows. Tensing his muscles, he crouched for a moment. Then he leaped lightly down into the rough grass on the other side of the garden fence. As he landed, the bell on his collar rang out through the still night air.**

**"Where are you off to, Rusty?" meowed a familiar voice behind him.**

**Rusty looked up. A young black-and-white cat was balancing ungracefully on the fence.**

"Okay, who's this?!" Lynn demanded. Lincoln groaned.

"I dunno, but can you guys stop asking this many questions?! I'm trying to read!" Lincoln shouted. Lynn looked slightly offended, her eyebrows pointed into a sharp V and her mouth curled into a tight frown

"Why can't I-"

Lincoln, however ignored her and continued reading.

**"Hello, Smudge," Rusty replied.**

**"You're not going to go into the woods, are you?" Smudge's amber eyes were huge.**

**"Just for a look," Rusty promised, shifting uncomfortably.**

**"You wouldn't get me in there. It's dangerous!" Smudge wrinkled his black nose with distaste. "Henry said he went into the woods once." The cat lifted his head and gestured with his nose over the rows of fences toward the garden where Henry lived.**

**"That fat old tabby never went into the woods!" Rusty scoffed. "He's hardly been beyond his own garden since his trip to the vet. All he wants to do is eat and sleep."**

**"No, really. He caught a robin there!" Smudge insisted.**

**"Well, if he did, then it was before the vet. Now he complains about birds because they disturb his dozing."**

**"Well, anyway," Smudge went on, ignoring the scorn in Rusty's mew, "Henry told me there are all sorts of dangerous animals out there. Huge wildcats who eat live rabbits for breakfast and sharpen their claws on old bones!"**

"Mm. I can already tell these words will be proven otherwise." Lisa muttered to herself, "However, it does establish Rusty as an outsider, so once again I have to give the author kudos."

**"I'm only going for a look around," Rusty meowed. "I won't stay long."**

**"Well, don't say I didn't warn you!" purred Smudge. The black-and-white cat turned and plunged off the fence back down into his own garden.**

"... Strange..." The second youngest murmured, brows furrowing, "If these domestic felis catus were truly wary of their feral neighbors, wouldn't Smudge tried harder to persuade his friend?"

**Rusty sat down in the coarse grass beyond the garden fence. He gave his shoulder a nervous lick and wondered how much of Smudge's gossip was true.**

**Suddenly the movement of a tiny creature caught his eye. He watched it scuttle under some brambles.**

**Instinct made him drop into a low crouch. With one slow paw after another he drew his body forward through the undergrowth. Ears pricked, nostrils flared, eyes unblinking, he moved toward the animal. He could see it clearly now, sitting up among the barbed branches, nibbling on a large seed held between its paws. It was a mouse.**

Lana leaned in with an excited smile.

"Ooo! His first mouse!" She said with some excitement, leaning forward to listen carefully. However, Lincoln, much like his sisters, gave her a confused look.

"Why do you care so much?" Her prissy twin inquired in confusion. The pig-tailed girl simply shrugged.

"Eh, Cliff brought me one a couple years ago. He was pretty insistent, and it's not like I would say n-"

"EW!" Her siblings cut her off, crying out in disgust. Most of them scooted away from her, Lola making exaggerated gagging motions.

"Lana, what's wrong with you!?" She demanded. Lana snorted, looking around at her siblings looking offended.

"I didn't eat the whole thing! And Cliff kept bugging me all day with it!"

Lincoln cringed once more before reading again in an attempt to get everyone back on track

**Rusty rocked his haunches from side to side, preparing to leap. He held his breath in case his bell rang again. Excitement coursed through him, making his heart pound. This was even better than his dreams! Then a sudden noise of cracking twigs and crunching leaves made him jump. His bell jangled treacherously, and the mouse darted away into the thickest tangle of the bramble bush.**

**Rusty stood very still and looked around. He could see the white tip of a red bushy tail trailing through a clump of tall ferns up ahead. He smelled a strong, strange scent, definitely a meat-eater, but neither cat nor dog. Distracted, Rusty forgot about the mouse and watched the red tail curiously. He wanted a better look.**

"Yeah, he's dead meat." Lynn said, rolling her eyes at the cat's idiocy. Lincoln fixed her with a bewildered look.

"I don't think this book would kill off the main character at this point!" He pointed out before going back to reading.

**All of Rusty's senses strained ahead as he prowled forward. Then he detected another noise. It came from behind, but sounded muted and distant. He swiveled his ears backward to hear it better. Pawsteps? he wondered, but he kept his eyes fixed on the strange red fur up ahead, and continued to creep onward. It was only when the faint rustling behind him became a loud and fast-approaching leaf-crackle that Rusty realized he was in danger.**

"Yeah, no shit." Lori muttered, "Rusty's literally a dumbass."

"Hey, he's trying his best!" Lynn protested. Lori rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Yeah, whatever."

**The creature hit him like an explosion and Rusty was thrown sideways into a clump of nettles. Twisting and yowling, he tried to throw off the attacker that had fastened itself to his back. It was gripping him with incredibly sharp claws. Rusty could feel spiked teeth pricking at his neck. He writhed and squirmed from whisker to tail, but he couldn't free himself. For a second he felt helpless; then he froze. Thinking fast, he flipped over onto his back. He knew instinctively how dangerous it was to expose his soft belly, but it was his only chance.**

"Bloody hell! That cat's gonna get gutted!" Luna exclaimed, slipping into her British accent.

**He was lucky—the ploy seemed to work. He heard a "hhuuffff" beneath him as the breath was knocked out of his attacker. Thrashing fiercely, Rusty managed to wriggle free. Without looking back he sprinted toward his home.**

**Behind him, a rush of pawsteps told Rusty his attacker was giving chase. Even though the pain from his scratches stung beneath his fur, Rusty decided he would rather turn and fight than let himself be jumped on again.**

The siblings were enraptured by the words of the book, much to Lincoln's relief.

**He skidded to a stop, spun around, and faced his pursuer.**

**It was another kitten, with a thick coat of shaggy gray fur, strong legs, and a broad face. In a heartbeat, Rusty smelled that it was a tom, and sensed the power in the sturdy shoulders underneath the soft coat. Then the kitten crashed into Rusty at full pelt. Taken by surprise by Rusty's turnabout, it fell back into a dazed heap.**

**The impact knocked the breath out of Rusty, and he staggered. He quickly found his footing and arched his back, puffing out his orange fur, ready to spring onto the other kitten. But his attacker simply sat up and began to lick a forepaw, all signs of aggression gone.**

"The hell?" Luna muttered, no longer speaking in an American accent. The rest of the siblings had about the same question, but they decided not to voice it to continue on.

**Rusty felt strangely disappointed. Every part of him was tense, ready for battle.**

"Me too, Rusty. Me too." Lynn muttered.

**"Hi there, kittypet!" meowed the gray tom cheerily. "You put up quite a fight for a tame kitty!"**

"Kittypet?" Everyone but Lisa echoed. The small genius, on the other hand, smiled slightly.

"I'd hazard a guess that a kittypet would be a feral cat's term for a house cat."

"Why would they call them that though?" Leni inquired, turning to Lisa with a brow raised. Her younger sister simply shrugged.

"Worldbuilding, I'd assume." She simply replied. Before anyone could demand why the author would do that instead of just calling them house cats, Lincoln continued on.

**Rusty remained on tiptoe for a second, wondering whether to attack anyway. Then he remembered the strength he had felt in this kitten's paws when he had pinned him to the ground. He dropped onto his pads, loosened his muscles, and let his spine unbend. "And I'll fight you again if I have to," he growled.**

**"I'm Graypaw, by the way," the gray kitten went on, ignoring Rusty's threat. "I'm training to be a ThunderClan warrior."**

"See? Clyde said they get the suffix paw when they're training." Lincoln pointed out.

**Rusty remained silent. He didn't understand what this Graywhatsit was meowing about, but he sensed the threat had passed. He hid his confusion by leaning down to lick his ruffled chest.**

**"What's a kittypet like you doing out in the woods? Don't you know it's dangerous?" asked Graypaw.**

Lynn suddenly scoffed.

"Yeah, 'cause a freakin' kitten is the most dangerous thing in the woods!" She ridiculed.

"Yeah, he has to be kitten!" Luan joked, laughing hysterically as her siblings groaned.

**"If you're the most dangerous thing the woods has to offer, then I think I can handle it," Rusty bluffed.**

"Yeah, exactly!" Lynn shouted, ignoring Luan's awful pun, "I like Rusty!"

Her siblings looked absolutely bewildered at her intertuptions.

"Huh, never thought Lynn would like a book..." Lori muttered. Lynn sudden looked offended however.

"H-hey, I don't like it! I'm just... I just like Rusty, okay!"

"Sure." Her siblings chorused.

**Graypaw looked up at him for a moment, narrowing his big yellow eyes. "Oh, I'm far from the most dangerous. If I were even half a warrior, I'd have given an intruder like you some real wounds to think about."**

"... Damn, they're racist..." Lynn muttered.

"Wouldn't that be cat-sit? Or something like that?" Lana objected. Her siblings blinked at her a few times before they went back to reading.

**Rusty felt a thrill of fear at these ominous words. What did this cat mean by "intruder"?**

"It likely means they don't want other cats hunting on their territory." Lisa muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.

**"Anyway," meowed Graypaw, using his sharp teeth to tug a clump of grass from between his claws, "I didn't think it was worth hurting you. You're obviously not from one of the other Clans."**

**"Other Clans?" Rusty echoed, confused.**

The sisters turned to Lincoln, confused.

"Did Clyde tell you how many clans there are?" Luan asked. Lincoln hummed, furrowing his brows in thought.

He replied, "I think he said there's four, including ThunderClan and RiverClan. Can't remember the other clans though..."

**Graypaw let out an impatient hiss. "You must have heard of the four warrior Clans that hunt around here! I belong to ThunderClan. The other Clans are always trying to steal prey from our territory, especially ShadowClan.**

"Ah, there's one!" Lincoln pointed out to his sisters.

"Gee, wonder who the villain will be?" Luan said sarcastically.

**"They're so fierce they would have ripped you to shreds, no questions asked."**

**Graypaw paused to spit angrily and continued: "They come to take prey that is rightfully ours. It's the job of the ThunderClan warriors to keep them out of our territory. When I've finished my training, I'll be so dangerous, I'll have the other Clans shaking in their flea-bitten skins. They won't dare come near us then!"**

"Yeah, I'll bet they'd be real scared of a kitten!" Luna chuckled.

"To be fair, us homo sapiens wouldn't find this kitten frightening. Perhaps a clan cat would be more cowed by him... though I highly doubt that." Lisa interjected.

**Rusty narrowed his eyes. This must be one of the wildcats Smudge had warned him about! Living rough in the woods, hunting and fighting each other for every last scrap of food. Yet Rusty didn't feel scared. In fact, it was hard not to admire this confident kitten. "So you're not a warrior yet?" he asked.**

**"Why? Did you think I was?" Graypaw purred proudly; then he shook his wide, furry head. "I won't be a real warrior for ages. I have to go through the training first. Kits have to be six moons old before they even begin training. Tonight is my first night out as an apprentice."**

**"Why don't you find yourself an owner with a nice cozy house instead? Your life would be much easier," Rusty meowed. "There are plenty of housefolk who'd take in a kitten like you. All you have to do is sit where they can see you and look hungry for a couple of days—"**

**"And they'd feed me pellets that look like rabbit droppings and soft slop!" Graypaw interrupted. "No way! I can't think of anything worse than being a kittypet! They're nothing but Twoleg toys! Eating stuff that doesn't look like food, making dirt in a box of gravel, sticking their noses outside only when the Twolegs allow them? That's no life! Out here it's wild, and it's free. We come and go as we please." He finished his speech with a proud spit, then meowed mischievously, "Until you've tasted a fresh-killed mouse, you haven't lived. Have you ever tasted mouse?"**

**"No," Rusty admitted, a little defensively. "Not yet."**

**"I guess you'll never understand." Graypaw sighed. "You weren't born wild. It makes a big difference. You need to be born with warrior blood in your veins, or the feel of the wind in your whiskers. Kitties born into Twoleg nests could never feel the same way."**

"Told ya they were racist!" Lynn said, bouncing a baseball against the wall non cholantly.

**Rusty remembered the way he had felt in his dream. "That's not true!" he mewed indignantly.**

**Graypaw did not reply. He suddenly stiffened midlick, one paw still raised, and sniffed the air. "I smell cats from my Clan," he hissed. "You should go. They won't be pleased to find you hunting in our territory!"**

**Rusty looked around, wondering how Graypaw knew any cat was approaching. He couldn't smell anything different on the leaf-scented breeze. But his fur stood on end at the note of urgency in Graypaw's voice.**

**"Quick!" hissed Graypaw again. "Run!"**

**Rusty prepared to spring into the bushes, not knowing which way was safe to jump.**

**He was too late. A voice meowed behind him, firm and menacing. "What's going on here?"**

"Oooo, he's in toruble!" Lana jested.

**Rusty turned to see a large gray she-cat strolling majestically out from the undergrowth. She was magnificent. White hairs streaked her muzzle, and an ugly scar parted the fur across her shoulders, but her smooth gray coat shone like silver in the moonlight.**

**"Bluestar!" Beside Rusty, Graypaw crouched down and narrowed his eyes. He crouched even lower when a second cat—a handsome, golden tabby—followed the gray cat into the clearing.**

**"You shouldn't be so near Twolegplace, Graypaw!" growled the golden tabby angrily, narrowing his green eyes.**

**"I know, Lionheart, I'm sorry." Graypaw looked down at his paws.**

**Rusty copied Graypaw and crouched low to the forest floor, his ears twitching nervously. These cats had an air of strength he had never seen in any of his garden friends. Maybe what Smudge had warned him about was true.**

**"Who is this?" asked the she-cat.**

"Exactly what I was thinking!" Lori griped, "Literally who is she?!"

Lincoln simply shrugged and continued.

**Rusty flinched as she turned her gaze on him. Her piercing blue eyes made him feel even more vulnerable**

**"He's no threat," mewed Graypaw quickly. "He's not another Clan warrior, just a Twoleg pet from beyond our territories."**

Lynn opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Lincoln saying, "Yeah yeah yeah, we get it Lynn, they're racist."

**Just a Twoleg pet! The words inflamed Rusty, but he held his tongue. The warning look in Bluestar's stare told him that she had observed the anger in his eyes, and he looked away.**

**"This is Bluestar; she's leader of my Clan!" Graypaw hissed to Rusty under his breath. "And Lionheart. He's my mentor, which means he's training me to be a warrior."**

"Oh." Lori acknowledged

**"Thank you for the introduction, Graypaw," meowed Lionheart coolly.**

**Bluestar was still staring at Rusty. "You fight well for a Twoleg pet," she meowed.**

**Rusty and Graypaw exchanged confused glances. How could she know?**

**"We have been watching you both," Bluestar went on, as if she had read their thoughts.**

"... Creepy..." The siblings muttered in unison.

" **We wondered how you would deal with an intruder, Graypaw. You attacked him bravely."**

**Graypaw looked pleased at Bluestar's praise.**

**"Sit up now, both of you!" Bluestar looked at Rusty. "You too, kittypet." He sat up immediately and held Bluestar's gaze evenly as she addressed him.**

**"You reacted well to the attack, kittypet. Graypaw is stronger than you, but you used your wits to defend yourself. And you turned to face him when he chased you. I've not seen a kittypet do that before."**

**Rusty managed to nod his thanks, taken aback by such unexpected praise. Her next words surprised him even more.**

**"I have been wondering how you would perform out here, beyond the Twolegplace. We patrol this border frequently, so I have often seen you sitting on your boundary, staring out into the forest. And now, at last, you have dared to place your paws here." Bluestar stared at Rusty thoughtfully. "You do seem to have a natural hunting ability. Sharp eyes. You would have caught that mouse if you had not hesitated so long."**

**"R-really?" Rusty stammered.**

"Like, I thought she would be mad he's hunting there or whatever!" Leni pointed out. Lincoln sighed.

"Maybe she's getting to that." He explained.

"Ohhh, okay!"

**Lionheart spoke now. His deep meow was respectful but insistent. "Bluestar, this is a kittypet. He should not be hunting in ThunderClan territory. Send him home to his Twolegs!"**

**Rusty prickled at Lionheart's dismissive words. "Send me home?" he mewed impatiently. Bluestar's words had made him glow with pride. She had noticed him; she had been impressed by him. "But I've only come here to hunt for a mouse or two. I'm sure there's enough to go around."**

**Bluestar had turned her head to acknowledge Lionheart's words. Now her gaze snapped back to Rusty. Her blue eyes were blazing with anger. "There's never enough to go around," she spat. "If you didn't live such a soft, overfed life, you would know that!"**

**Rusty was confused by Bluestar's sudden rage, but one glance at the horrified look on Graypaw's face was enough to tell him he had spoken too freely. Lionheart stepped to his leader's side. Both warriors loomed over him now. Rusty looked into Bluestar's threatening stare and his pride dissolved. These were not cozy fireside cats he was dealing with—they were mean, hungry cats who were probably going to finish what Graypaw had started.**

"Well, she definitely got to that..." Lincoln trailed off.

* * *

"And there we go, chapter one's finished!" Lincoln declared, closing the book with a loud slam. Lana and Lola suddenly looked indignant.

"Hey, c'mon you can't leave us hanging like that!" Lana cried. Lola nodded in agreement, much to everyone's surprise.

"I hate to admit it, but I wanna know what happened to Rusty!" Lola added. Their sisters looked at them in surprise.

"Guys, you literally can wait." Lori sighed, "We can-"

"Actually, I'd love to finish the next chapter!" Lincoln suddenly interjected, a wide, slightly smug smile on his face. Everyone besides Lana and Lola looked indigent and looked like they were about to protest, but Lincoln then pointed out: "Remember, you guys said I can read the rest of the book to you! Nothing said I have to read only one chapter!"

The sisters paused for a second. Then, with collective mutters of annoyance, they sat down.

"Fine. Go on, then..." Lori muttered.


End file.
